Establishment of the Cancer Genomics Core Laboratory:
The M. D. Anderson Cancer Genomics Core Program was established at the direction of the President of the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Dr. John Mendelsohn. The Program Director is Dr. Stanley Hamilton, who is also the Head of the Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. The program aims to support genomics research, minimize duplication of expensive resources, and enhance collaboration by providing core genomics support to independent research studies at MDACC. To achieve these goals, the Cancer Genomics Core Laboratory was initiated in August 1999. This laboratory is directed by Dr. Wei Zhang. A bioinformatics group, under the leadership of Dr. Donald Berry, Chairman of the Department of Biostatistics, has also been established to support the genomics effort at M. D. Anderson. An Internal Advisory Committee and an External Advisory Committee have been set up to help guide the program and help resolve priority issues that may arise. Establishment of the Core Laboratory and the Bioinformatics Group is supported by a donation from the Kadoorie Foundation and the Texas Tobacco Settlement Fund.